E 37 j 
,B6 I 
copy 2 I 

j 

i 

i 




INDIAN CAPTIVITY 
OF WILLIAM BIGGS 



Headman s Historical Series Number 37 



NARRATIVE 

OF THE 

CAPTIVITY 

OF 

WILLIAM BIGGS 



AMONG THE 

KICKAPOO INDIANS 

IN 

Illinois in 1 788 



Written By Himself 




Eighty -one Copies Re-Printed In 
Nineteen Hundred and Twenty-two. 



Number of 81 Copies Reprinted, 



Also Five Copies Issued on Japan Paper. 



NARRATIVE 
OF THE CAPTIVITY OF 
WILLIAM BIGGS 
AMONG THE KiCKAPOO INDIAN! 
IN ILLINOIS IN 1788 



In the year 1788, March 28th } I was going from Bellfontain to 
Cahokia > in company with a young man named John Vallis, from 
the State of Maryland; he was born and raised near Baltimore. 
About 7 o'clock in the morning I heard two guns fired; by the report 
I thought they were to the right; I thought they were white men 
hunting; both shot at the same time. I looked but could not see 
any body; in a moment after I looked' to the left and "saw sixteen 
Indians, all upon their feet with their guns presented, about forty yards 
distant from me, just ready to draw trigger. I Was riding between 
Vallis and the Indians in a slow trot, at the moment I saw them. 
I whipped my horse and' leaned my breast on the horse's withers, 
and told Vallis to whip his horse, that they were Indians. That 
moment they all fired their guns in one platoon; you could scarcely 
distinguish the report of their guns one from another. They shot 
four bullets into my horse, one high up in his withers, one in the 
bulge of the ribs near my thigh, and two in his rump, and shot 



THE CAPTIVITY OF WILLIAM BIGGS 



four or five through my great coat. The moment they fired their 
guns they ran towards us and yelled so frightfully, that the wounds 
and the yelling of the Indians scared my horse so that he jumped 
so suddenly to one side of the road, that my gun Cell off my 
shoulder and twisted out of my hand; I then bore all my weight 
on one stirrup, in order to catch my gun, but could not. I had a 
large bag of beaver fur, which prevented me from recovering my 
saddle, and having no girth nor crupper to my saddle, it turned and 
fell off my horse, and I fell with it, but caught on my feet and held 
the mane; I made several attempts to mount my horse again; but 
the Indians running up so close, and making such a frightful yelling, 
that my horse jumped and pranced so that it was impossible for me 
to mount him again, but I held fast to my horse's mane for twenty 
or thirty yards; then my hold broke and I fell on my hands and 
knees, and stumbled along about four or five steps before I could 
recover myself. By the time I got fairly on my feet, the Indians 
were about eight or ten yards from me — I saw then there was no 
other way for me to make my escape but by fast running, and I 
was determined to try it, and had but little hopes at first of my 
being able to escape. I ran about one hundred yards before I 
looked back — I thought almost every step I could feel the scalping 
knife cutting my scalp off. I found I was gaining ground on them, 
I felt encouraged and ran about three hundred yards farther, and 
looking back saw that I had gained about one hundred yards, and 
considering myself quite out of danger. A thought then occurred 
to me, that I was as safe and out of danger as I would be if I were 
in the City of Philadelphia: the Indians had quit yelling and slacked 
their running— but I did not know it then. It being a tolerable 
cold morning and I was heavily clad, I thought perhaps the 



8 



THE CAPTIVITY OF WILLIAM BIGGS 



Indians would give me a long chase, and probably that they would 
hold out better than I could; although at that time I did not feel 
the least tired or out of breath. I concluded toi throw off my two 
coats and shoes, as I would then be better prepared for a long race. 
I had my great coat tied around me with a silk handkerchief pretty 
much worn— I recollect tying it with a slip knot, but being in a 
hurry ? it was drawn into a double hard knot; I tried some little 
time to get i't loose — the longer I tried the harder the knot seemed 
to get, that stopped my running considerably; at length I broke it 
by some means, I do not know how. In the morning I forgot to 
put on my shot pouch before I put on my great coat, and then put 
it on over it. I pulled off the sleeves of my great coat, not thinking 
of my shot-pouch being over my coat, it having a very short strap, 
the coat got so tight in the strap that I could not get it loose for 
a considerable time. Still trying, it hung down and trailed on the 
ground, and every two or three steps it would wrap around my 
legs and throw me down, and I would catch on my hands and 
knees, it served me so several times, so that I could make no head- 
way at running. After some considerable time,, I broke the strap 
and my great coat dropped from me — I had no knife with me. 

The Indians discovered that something was the matter and saw 
me tumbling down several times. I suppose they thought I was 
wounded and could run no farther; they then set up the yell again 
and mended their gait running. By the time I got my great coat 
loose from me, and was in the act of pulling off my under coat, I 
was pulling off one sleeve I looked back over my shoulder, but had 
not time to pull it off — the Indians being within ten yards of me. 
I then started again to run, but could not gain any ground on them, 
nor they on me; we ran about one hundred yards farther and 



9 



THE CAPTIVITY OF WILLIAM BIGGS 



neither appeared to gain ground: there was a small pathway that 
was a little nearer than to keep the big road, — I kept the big road, 
the Indians took the path, and when we came where the path comes 
into the big road the Indians were within three or four yards from 

me — we ran forty or fifty steps farther and neither appeared to gain 
ground. I expected every moment they would strike me with their 
tomahawks — I thought it would not do to be killed running like a 
coward and saw no other way to make my escape than to face 
about and to catch the tomahawk from the first that attempted to 
strike me, and jerk i't from him, which I made no doubt but I was 
able to do; then I would have a weapon to fight with as well as 
them, and by that means I would be able to make my escape; they 
had thrown down their guns before they gave me chase, but I had 
not fairly faced about before an Indian caught me by the shoulder 
and held his tomahawk behind him and made no attempt to strike 
me. I then thought it best for me not to make any resistance till 
I would see whether he would attempt to strike me or not. He 
held me by the shoulder till another came up and took hold of me, 
which was only four or five moments; then a third Indian came up, 
the first Indian that took hold of me took the handle of his toma- 
hawk and rubbed it on my shoulder and down my arm, which was 
a token that he would not kill me and that I was his prisoner. 
Then they all took their hands off me and stood around me. The 
fourth Indian came up and attempted to strike me, but the first 
Indian that caught me pushed him away. He was still determined 
to kill me, and tried to get around to my back; but I still faced 
round as he was trying to get to my back — when he got up by 
my side, he drew his tomahawk the second time to strike me, but 
the same Indian pushed him off and scolded him very much — he let 



10 



THE CAPTIVITY OF WILLIAM BIGGS 



his tomahawk hang by his side, but still intended to kill me if he 
could get an opportunity. The other Indians watched him very 
closely. There were but four Indians that gave me chase, they were 
all naked except their breachcloth, leggins and mocasins. They then 
began to talk to me in their own language, and said they were Kick- 
apoos, that they were very good Indians, and I need not be afraid, 
they would not hurt me, and I was now a Kickapoo and must go 
with them, they would take me to the Matocush, meaning a French 
trading town on the Wabash river. When the Indians caught me I 
saw Mr. Vallis about one hundred yards before me on the road — 
he had made a halt. They shot him in the left thigh abo srei 
or eight inches above the knee, the ball came out just below his 
hip, his horse was not injured — he rode an elegant horse which car- 
ried him out of all farther danger — his wound mortified, he lived 
six weeks after he was wounded, then died. I understood their 
language, and could speak a little. They then told me to march; 
an Indian took hold of each of my arms, and led me back to where 
they shot at me, and then went about half a mile further off the 
road, where they -had encamped the night before and left their 
blankets and other things. They then took off my under coat and 
tied my hands behind my back, andi then tied a rope to that, tying 
about six or seven feet long, we then started in as great hurry, 
and an Indian held one end of the rope while we were marching 
There were but eight Indians marched in company with me that 
morning from the camp. The other eight took some other route, 
and never fell in with us 1 again, until some time afteri we got to 
their towns. We had marched about three or four miles from that 
camp when Vallis arrived at the fort, about six miles from where 
also got up to show a willingness to be ready. The old chief told 



11 



THE CAPTIVITY OF WILLIAM BIGGS 



they caught me, where they fired a swivel to alarm the people who 
were out of the fort — when the Indians heard the swivel they were 
very much alarmed, and all looked that way and hallowed yough, 
yough. They then commenced running, and run in a pretty smart 
trot of a run for five or six miles before they halted, and then 
walked very fast until about 2 o'clock in the afternoon, when they 
separated, I supposed to hunt, having nothing to eat. The old 
chief and one of the other Indians kept on a straight course with 
me, we traveled about three miles, when we got a little way into 
a small prairie and halted about fifteen minutes, there one of the 
party fell in with us, he had killed a bear and brought as much of 
the meat with him as he could carry. We then crossed the prairie 
and came to a large run about one mile and a half from where we 
had halted to rest. By this time three Indians had joined us. We 
halted there, made a fire and roasted the bear meat, the other two 
Indians staid behind as spies. Whilst the meat was cooking, the 
Indians held a council what they would do with the Indian that 
wanted to kill me. He was a young fellow about 19 years of age 
and of a different nation, being a Pottowatema. They did not want 
him to go to war with them; they said he was a great coward and 
would not go into danger till there was no risk to run, then he 
would run forward and get the best of the plunder and) that he 
would not be commanded; he would do as he pleased; was very sel- 
fish and stubborn; and was determined to kill me if he could get 
a chance. They determined in their council to kill him. It is a 
law with the Indians when they go to war, if an Indian will not 
obey the counsels and commands of his captain or chief, to kill 
them. When their meat was cooked, they ate very hearty, and 
when they were done eating, three of the Indians got up, put on 



12 



THE CAPTIVITY OP WILLIAM BIGGS 



their budgets and started, this young, Indian was one of them. I 
me to sit down, and the three Indians started off. In about three 
or four minutes after we started, but varied a little in our course. 
We had not traveled more than one hundred yards when we heard 
the report of a gun, The old chief then told me that they had 
killed the Indian that wanted to kill me. The other two Indians 
fell in company with us before night. We then traveled till about 
10 o'clock in the night, when we encamped at a large grove of 
timber db a prairie: about four miles frtom the edge of the 
woods; made no fire that night. We traveled about forty miles that 
day. After they rested a while they sat down to eat their jirk. 
They gave me some but I could not eat any. After they were done 
eating, one of the Indians was sitting with his back against a tree, 
with his knife between his legs. I was sitting facing hlimi wiith 
my feet nearly touching his. He began to inquire of me of what 
nation I belonged to. I was determined to pretend that I was ignor- 
ant and could not understand him. I did not wish then to know 
that I could speak some Indian language, and understand them bet- 
ter than I could speak. He first asked me in Indian if I was a 
Matocush, (that is a Frenchman in English) I told him no. He 
asked me if I was a Sagenash, (an Englishman.) I told him no. He 
again asked if I was a Shemolsea, (that is a long knife or a Vir- 
ginian.) I told him no. He then asked me if I was a Bostonely, 
(that is American). I told him no. About one minute afterwards, he 
asked me the same questions over again. I then answered him 
yes; he then spoke English and caught up his knife in his hand, 
and said "you are one dam, son of a bitch." I really thought he 
intended stabbing me with his knife. I knew it would not do to 
show cowardice, I being pretty well acquainted with their manner 



13 



THE CAPTIVITY OF WILLIAM BIGGS 



and ways. I then jumped upon my feet and spoke in Indian and 
said manetway, kien, depaway, in English" it is no, I am very good, 
and clapped my hand on my breast when I spoke and looked very 
bold; the other Indians all set up such ha! ha! and laugh that it 
made the other Indian look very foolish. He sat still and looked 
very sulky. After they had rested a while, they began to prepare 
to lay down. They spread down a deer-skin and blanket for me to 
lay on. They had tied a rope around my arms above my elbows, 
and tied that rope across my back, and a rope around my neck; 
they then tied the end of another rope behind to the neck rope, 
then down my back to the pinion rope; then they drew my hands 
forward across my stomach and crossed my wrists; then tied my 
wrists very tight; then tied my legs together, just below my knees; 
then tied my feet together with a rope round my ankles; then took 
a small cord and tied in between my wrists, and also between my 
ankles very tight, in order to prevent me from drawing out my 
hands or feet; they then took another cord and tied one end to the 
neck rope; then to the hand rope; then from the hand rope to the 
knee rope; they then took a rope about six feet long and tied one 
end to the wrist rope, and the other end to a stake about six feet 
from me stretched very tight, and an Indian laid on that rope all 
night; then they took another rope about the same length, and 
tied one end to< the knee rope and; the other end) to a ^take, and 
another Indian laid on that all night; then they tied a large half- 
dressed elk rope, one end to the back part of the neck rope which 
mad'e a knot as big as my fist, the other end they tied toi a stake 
about six feet from my head. When they finished their tying me, 
they covered me with a blanket. They tied me in the aforegoing 
way nine nights in succession; they had me stretched and tied so 



14 



T H E 



CAPTIVITY OF WIL L I A M 



BIGGS 



tight, that I could not move one inch to turn or rest myself; that 
large knot was on the back of my neck, so that I was obliged to 
lay on it all night, and it hurt my neck very much. I never suf- 
fered as much in the same length of time in all my life; I could 
hardly walk when we got out to their town. They never made me 
carry anything except a blanket they gave me to keep myself warm, 
when they took all my clothes from me. The Indians carried a 
deer-skin and blanket all the way for me to lodge upon. When my 
hands and feet became sore with the tying the Indians would 
always pull oft* my moccasins at night and put them on in the 
morning, and patch them when they would require it. 

The second day we started very early in the morning and traveled 
about thirty-five miles, which was the 29th of March. 

The third day we traveled about thirty miles, which was the 
30th of March. They killed a deer that day — in the evening they 
took the intestines out of the deer and freed them of their contents, 
when they put them in the kettles with some meat and made soup, 
I could not eat any of it. 

The fourth day we traveled about twenty-five miles. We stopped 
about 3 o'clock in the afternoon at a pond. They staid there all 
night. They had some dried meat, tallow, and buffalo marrow, ren- 
dered up together, lashed and hung upon a tree about twenty feet 
from the ground, which they had left there in order to be sure to 
have something to eat on their return. They killed two ducks that 
evening. The ducks were very fat. They picked one of the ducks, 
and took out all its entrils very nice and clean, then stuck it on a 
stick, and stuck the other end of the stick in the ground before 
the fire, and roasted i't very nice. By the time the duck was cooked, 
one of the Indians went and cut a large block out of a tree to lay 



15 



THE CAPTIVITY OF WILLIAM BIGGS 



the duck upon; they made a little hole in the ground to catch the 
fat of the duck while roasting. When the duck was cooked, they 
laid it on this clean block of wood, then took a spoon and tin cup, 
and lifted the grease of the duck out of the hole and took it to the 
cooked duck on the table, and gave me some salt, then told me 
to go and eat. I sat by and eat the whole of the duck, and could 
have eat more if I would have had anything more to eat, though I 
had no bread. I thought I had never eat anything before that tasted 
so good. That was the first meal I had eaten for four days. The 
other duck they pulled a few of the largest feathers out off, then 
threw the duck, guts, feathers and all into their soup-kettle, a|nd 
cooked it in that manner. 

The fifth day we traveled about thirty miles. That night I felt 
very tired and sore, my hands, arms, legs and feet had swelled and 
inflamed very much, by this time; the tying that night hurt me 
very much, I thought I could not live until morning; it felt just like 
a rough saw cutting my bones. I told the Indians I could not bear 
it, it would kill me before morning, and asked them to unslack or 
unloose the wrist rope a little, that hurt me the most. They did 
so, and rather more than I expected, so much that I could draw my 
hands out of the tying, which I intended to do as soon as I thought 
the Indians were asleep. When I thought the Indians werte all 
asleep I drew my right hand out of tying, with an intention to put 
it back again before I would go to sleep, for fear I should make 
seme stir in my sleep and they might discover me. But, finding so 
much more ease, and resting so much better, I fell asleep before I 
knew it, without putting my hand back into the tying. The first 
thing I knew about 3 o'clock in the morning, an Indian was sitting 
astraddle me, drawing his tomahawk and rubbing it across my fore- 



16 



THE CAPTIVITY OF WILLIAM 



BIGGS 



head, every time lie would draw a stroke with the pipe of his tom- 
ahawk he threatened to kill me, and saying I wanted to run away; 
I told him to kill away. I would as leave die as live. I then told 
him I was not able to run away. He then got off me, and the rest 
of the Indians were all up immediately. They then held a short 
council and agreed to tie me as tight as ever, and they did so. I 
got no more sleep that night. I never asked them to loose my ropes 
any more. 

The sixth day we traveled about thirty miles, and had nothing to 
eat that day. 

Th9 seventh day we traveled about twenty -five miles; they killed 
a doe that day. She had two fawns in her, not yet haired. They 
stopped about four o'clock in the evening, and cooked the doe and 
her two fawns, and eat the whole up that night. They gave me part 
of a fawn to eat, but I could not at it, ft lookd too tender. I eat 
part of the doe. 

The eighth day we traveled about twenty-five miles, and had noth- 
ing to eat that day. 

The ninth day we traveled about fifteen miles. We then arrived 
at an Indian hunting camp, where they made sugar that spring. 
About 11 o'clock in the forenoon, we had not yet anything to eat 
that day. The Indians that lived there had plenty of meat, hominy 
grease and sugar eat. They gave us plenty of everything they had 
to eat. We were very hungry and ate like hungry dogs. When we 
were satisfied eating, the warriors went into a large cabin and I 
went with them, and immediately several of their friends came in 
see them., both men and squaws, to hear the news. It is a custom 
with that nation for the squaws to demand presents of the warriors 
if they have been successful. After some little inquiry the squaws 



17 



THE CAPTIVITY OF WILLIAM BIGGS 



began to demand presents of the warriors; some would ask for a 
blanket, some for a shirt, some for a tomahawk; one squaw asked 
for a gun. The warriors never refused anything that was demanded. 
The manner in which they made their demand was, they would go 
up to an Indian and take hold of what they wanted. When the 
squaws were done with the warriors, there came a squaw and took 
hold of my blanket; I saw how the game was played, I just threw 
it off and gave it to her; then there came up a young squaw about 
eleven or twelve years old and took hold of my shirt, I did not 
want to let that go, as it was very cold day, and I let on I did 
not understand what she wanted. She appeared to be very much 
ashamed and went away. The older squaws encouraged and per- 
suaded her to try it again; she came up the second time and took 
hold of my shirt again, I still pretended to be ignorant, but she 
held fast. I knew it would have to go. One of the warriors then 
stepped up and told me to let her have it. I then pulled it off and 
gave it to her. The old squaws laughed very much at the young 
squaw. I was then quite naked and it was a very cold day; I had 
nothing on me but moccasins, leggings and breachcloth. We re- 
mained there about 3 or 4 hours. The warriors then went out to 
the post to dance, they invited me to go> with them to dance. I 
did so, they sung and danced around the war-post for half an hour. 
The old Indians would sing and dance sometimes out of the ring 
and appeared very lively. The warriors then marched right off from 
their dance on their journey. We had n ot got more than about 50 
or 60 yards when I looked back and saw a squaw running with a 
blanket; she threw it on my shoulders, it fell down. I turned round 
and picked it up, it was a very old, dirty, lousy blanket, though it 
was better than nothing, as the day was very cold. We travelled 



IS 



THE CAPTIVITY OF WILLIAM BIGGS 



about five or six miles that evening, then encamped in the woods. 
I suffered very much that night from the cold. 

The tenth day we traveled five or six miles in the morning. We 
got within a quarter of a mile of a new town, on the west bank 
of the Wabash river, where those warriors resided, about nine 
o'clock, and made a halt at a running branch of water where the 
timber was very thick, so that they could conceal themselves from 
the view of the town. Then they washed themselves all over and 
dressed themselves with paint of different colors. They made me 
wash, then they painted me and said I was a Kickapoo. Then they 
cut a pole and pealed it, painted it different colors and stuck the 
big end in the ground, and cleared a ring around the pole for to 
dance in, The fifth night they cut a lock of hair out of the crown 
of my head about as thick as my finger, plaited it elegantly and 
put it in their conjuring bag, and hung that bag on the pole they 
contemplated dancing around, and said that was their prisoner and 
I was a Kickapoo, and must dance with them. When they all got, 
ready to dance, the captain gave three very loud halloes, then walked 
into the ring and the rest all followed him. They placed me the 
third next to the captain; they then began to sing and dance. When 
we had danced about half an hour, I saw several old men, boys and 
squaws come running to where we were dancing. When there were 
a considerable number of them collected, the captain stepped out of 
the ring and spoke to the squaws. He told them to carry his and 
the other warriors' budgets to the town; the captain then joined 
the other warriors and me in the dancing ring; he marched in the 
front and we danced and sung all the way from there into the town. 
Some of the old Indian warriors marched upon each sid e of us, and 
at times would sing' and dance until we got 'into their town. We 



* 



19 



THE CAPTIVITY OF WILLIAM BIGGS 



continued dancing until we got through the town to the war-post, 
which stood on the west bank of the Wabash river; danced round 
that about twenty minutes; they then marched into the town, took 
all the cords off me, and showed me a cabin, told me to. go in 
there, they were good Indians, they would give me something to eat; 
I need not fear, as they would not hurt me. I accordingly went in, 
where I received a plenty to eat and was treated very kindly.. The 
warriors went into other cabins and feasted very greedily. We had 
not eat anything that morning nor the night before. About one hour 
and a half before the sun set the same evening, the warriors went 
out to the war-post again to dance. They took me with them; sev- 
eral other Indians were present. They had danced about half an 
hour when I saw two Indian men and a squaw riding a horseback 
across the Wabash river, from the east side; they came to where 
we were dancing. One of the Indians had a handkei thief tied 
around his head and was carrying a gun; the other had a cocked 
hat on his head, and had a large sword. The warriors never let on 
that they saw them, but continued dancing about fifteen minutes. 
After the two Indians and squaw came up the warriors quit danc- 
ing, and went to them and shook hands; they appeared very glad 
to see each other. The captain of the warriors then talked with 
them about half an hour, and appeared to be very serious in their 
conversation. The captain then told me I must go with them two 
Indians and squaw. The sun was just then setting; the two Indians 
looked very much pleased. I did not want to go with them, as 
I knew not where they were going, and would have rather remained 
with the warriors that took me, as I had got acquainted with them, 
but the captain told me I must go with the two Indians and squaw, 
and that they were very good Indians. The Indian that had the 



on 



THE CAPTIVITY OF WILLIAM BIGGS 



sword rode up to a stump and told me to get up behind him on his 
horse; I did so with great reluctance, as I knew not where they were 
going; they looked very much like warriors. However, they started 
off very lively, and the Indian that I was riding behind began to 
plague and joke the squaw about me; she was his sister-in-law. He 
was an Indian that was full of life and very funny. When I got 
acquainted with him I was well pleased with him. We traveled 
about ten miles that evening before we reached the place ^hey 
resided. They were then living at a sugar camp, where they had 
made sugar that spring, on the west bank of the Wabash, about ten 
miles below the old Kickapoos' trading town, opposite to the 
Weawes town. We arrived at their sugar camp about two hours in 
the night. They then gave me to an old Kickapoo chief, who was 
the father ol the Indian that carried the gun, and the squaw, and 
the father-in-law of the funny Indian. The old chief soon began to 
inquire of me where I lived, and where the Indians caught me. I 
told him. He then asked me if they did not kill an Indian when 
they took me prisoner. I told him no, there was no body with me 
but one man and he had no gun. He then asked me again, if the 
Indians did not kill one of their own men when they took me. I 
told himi I did not know; the captain told me they did, but I did 
not see them kill him. The old chief then told me that it was true, 
they did kill him, and said he was a bad Indian, he wanted to kill 
me. By this time the young squaw, the daughter of the old chief, 
whom I traveled in company with that evening, had prepared a good 
supper for me; it was hominy beat in a mortar, as white and as 
handsome as I ever saw, and well cooked; she fried some dried meat, 
pounded very fine in a mortar, i'n oil, then sprinkled sugar very 
plentifully over it. I ate very hearty; indeed, it was all very good 



21 



THE CAPTIVITY OP WILLIAM EIGGS 



and well cooked. When I was done eating, the old chief told me 
to eat more. I told him I had eat enough He said no, if I did not 
eat more I could not live. Then the young squaw handed me a 
tincupful of water, sweetened with sugar: It relished very well. 
Then the old chief began to make further inquiries. He asked me 
if I had a wife and family. I told him I had a wife and three 
children. The old chief then appeared to be very sorry for my mis- 
fortune, and told me that I was among good Indians, I need not 
fear, they would not hurt me, and after awhile I should go home to 
my family; that I should go down the Wabash to Opost, from there 
down to the Ohio, then down the Ohio, and then up th e Mississippi 
to Kaskaskia. We sat up until almost midnight; the old chief 
appeared very friendly indeed. The young squaw had prepared a 
very good bed for me, with bearskins and blankets. I laid down and 
slept very comfortably that night. It appeared as though I had got 
into another world, after being confined and tied down with so 
many ropes and the loss of sleep nine nights. I remained in bed 
pretty late next morning. I felt quite easy in mind, but my wrists 
and legs pained me very much and felt very sore. The young squaw 
had her breakfast prepared and I eat very hearty. When breakfast 
was over this funny Indian came over and took me to his cabin, 
about forty yards from the old chief's. There were none living at 
that place then but the old chief, his wife and daughter. They lived 
by themselves in one cabin and the old chief's son and son-in-law 
and their wives in another cabin, and a widow squaw, the old chief's 
daughter, lived lay herself in a cabin adjoining her brother and 
brother-in-law. None of them had any children but the old chief. 
A few minutes after I went into this funny Indian's cabin he asked 
me if T wante'd to shave. I told him yes, my beard was very long. 



22 



THE CAPTIVITY OF WILLIAM BIGGS 



He then got a razor and gave it to me. It was a very good one. I 
told him it wanted strapping. He went and brought his shot-pouch 
strap. He held one end and I the other end. I gave the razor a 
few passes on the strap, and found the razor to be a very good one. 
By this time the old chiefs young squaw had come over; she im- 
mediately prepared some hot water for me to shave, and brought 
it. in a tincup and gave it to me, and a piece of very good shaving 
soap. By the time I was done shaving the young squaw had pre- 
pared some clean water in a pewter basin for me to wash, and a 
cloth to wipe my hands and face. She then told me to sit down on 
a bench; I did so. She got two very good combs, a coarse and a 
fine one. It was then the fashion to wear long hair; my hair was 
very long and very thick and very much matted and tangled; I 
traveled without my hat or anything else on my head; that was 
the tenth day it had not been combed. She combed out my hair 
very tenderly, and then took the fine- one and combed and looked 
over my head nearly one hour. She then went to a trunk and got 
a ribbon and queued my hair very nicely. The) old chief's 1 son 
then gave me a very good regimental blue cloth coat, faced with 
yellow buff-colored cloth. The son-in-law gave me a very good 
beaver macaroni hat. These they had taken from some officers they 
had killed. Then "the widow squaw took me into her cabin and 
gave me a new ruffled shirt and a very good blanket. They told me 
to put them on; I did so. When I had got my fine dress on, the 
funny Indian told me to walk across the floor. I knew they wanted 
to have a little fun. I put my arms akimbo with my hands on my 
hips, and walked with a very proud air three or four times back- 
wards and forwards across the floor. The funny Indian said in 
Indian that I was a very handsome man and a big captain. I then 



23 



THE CAPTIVITY OF WILLIAM BIGGS 



sat down, and they viewed me very much, and said I had a very 
handsome leg and thigh, and began to tell how fast I ran when the 
Indians caught me, and showed how I ran — like a bird flying. 
They appeared to be very well pleased with me, and I felt as com- 
fortable as the nature of the case would admit of. 

The next morning after breakfast, they all left that camp; they put 
all their property into a large perouge and moved by water up the 
Wabash river to the old Kickapoo trading town, about ten miles 
from their sugar camp; they sent me by land and one Indian with 
me. When we had got about half way to the town, we met with 
a young Frenchman; his name was Ebart; I was very well acquaint- 
ed with him in the Illinois country; he spoke tolerably good English. 
The Indian then left me, and I went on to the town with the young 
Frenchman; I got to the town before the Indiaais arrived with 
their perouge, and the young Frenchman showed me their cabin, 
and told me to stay there until they would come, that they would 
be there in a few minutes. I there met with an English trader, a 
very friendly man, whose name was John McCauslin; he was from 
the north of England; we made some little acquaintance. He was a 
Freemason and appeared very sorry for my misfortune and told 
me he would do everything in his power to befriend me and told 
me I was with good Indians, they would not hurt me. He inquired 
of me where I lived and asked if I had a family. He then told me 
of the circumstance of the Indians killing one of their own men that 
day they caught me. He said it was a fact, he was a bad Indian 
and would not obey the commands of his captain and that he was 
still determined to kill me. My Indian family soon arrived and 
cleared up their cabin and got their family ready. They were a 
smart, neat and cleanly family, kept their cabin very nice and 



24 



THE CAPTIVITY OF WILLIAM BIGGS 



clean, the same as white women, and cooked' their victuals very nice. 
After dinner was over, there came four Indians in the old chief's 
cabin. Two of them were the old chief's' brother's children. They 
appeared to be in a very fine humor. I did not know but that they 
belonged to> the same family and town. They had not been there 
moire than one hour, until the old chief and the four Indians sat 
down on the floor in the cabin and had a long discourse about an 
hour and a half. Then all got up. The old chief then told me I 
must go with those Indians. I told him I did' not want to go. He 
then told me I must go* that they were his children and that they 
were very good Indians; they would not hurt me. Then the old chief 
gave me to the oldest brother in place of his father who was killed 
about one year before by the white people; he was one of their 
chiefs. Then the four Indians started off and I with them; they 
went down to the lower end of the town and stopped at an Indian 
cabin and got some bread and meat to eat. They gave me some. 
I did not go into the Indian cabin. They had not been in the cabin 
more than ten or twelve minutes before the old chief's young squaw 
came up and stood at the door. She would not go in. I discovered 
the Indians laughing and plaguing her. She looked in a very ill 
humor; she did not want them, to take me away. They immediately 
started from the cabin and took a tolerably large path that led into 
the woods in a pretty smart trot. The squaw started immediately 
after them. They would look back once in a while, and when they 
would see the squaw coming they would whoop, hollow and laugh. 
When they got out of sight of the squaw they stopped running and 
traveled in a moderate walk. When we got about three miles from 
the town, they stopped where a large tree had fallen by the side 
of the path and laid high off the ground. They got up high on the 



25 



THE CAPTIVITY OF WILLIAM BIGGS 



log and looked back to see if the squaw was coming. When the 
squaw came up she stopped and they began to plague her and laugh 
at her. They spoke in English. They talked very vulgar to the 
squaw. She soon began to cry. When they got tired plaguing her, 
they jumped off the log and started on their road in a trot, and I 
ran with them. The squaw stood still till we got most out of sight. 
They wouH look back and laugh and sometimes hollow and whoop, 
and appeared to be very much diverted. They did not run very 
far before they slackened in their runnings. They then walked 
moderately until they got to their town, which was three miles 
further from the tree they stopped at. We got into theirf town 
about one hour and a half before the sun set. That same evening 
the squaw came in about half an hour after we arrived. I met with 
a young man that evening who had been taken prisoner about eigh- 
teen months before I was taken. His name was Nicholas Coonse 
(a Dutchman), then about 19 years of age. He heard I was coming, 
and he came to meet me a little way out of town. He was very glad 
to see me and I to see him, and we soon made up acquaintance. 
Coonse and myself were to live in one cabin together. The two 
brothers that I was given up to, one of them claimed Coonse and 
the other claimed me. They both lived in the same cabin. When the 
squaw arrived, she came immediately to our cabin and stood outside 
at the door; she would not come in. I noticed the Indians plaguing 
and laughing at her; she looked very serious. About sunset, Coonse 
asked me if I wanted a wife. (He could not speak very good Eng- 
lish, but he could speak pretty good Indian.) I told him no. He 
then told me if I wanted one I could have one. I asked him how 
he knew that. He said, "There is a squaw that wants to marry you.'' 
pointing at her. I told him I reckoned not. He says, "Yes. indeed, 



26 



THE CAPTIVITY OP WILLIAM BIGGS 



she tus; she came after you a purpose to marry you." I told 
Coonse I had a wife, and I did not want another ona, He says, "O, 
well, if you want her you can haf her." She stood by the door for 
some time after dark. I did not know when she went away ; she said 
two days and three nights before she returned home. I never spoke 
a word to her while she was there. She was a very handsome girl, 
about 18 years of age, a beautiful, full figure and handsomely fea- 
tured, and very white for a squaw. She was almost as white as dark 
complexioned white women generally are. Her father and mother 
were very white skinned Indians. 

The next day was the 9lh day of April,, and thirteenth day thiat 
I had been their prisoner. The chief Indians and warriors that day 
held a general council, to know dn what manner and way to dispose 
of me. They collected in the cabin where I lived. While they were 
in council their dinner was cooking. There were about ten in num- 
ber and they all sat down on the floor in a circle, ajnd then com- 
menced by their interpreter, Nicholas Coonse. 

The first question they asked me was, "Would I have my hair cut 
off like they cut theirs?" I answered "No." The second question 
they asked me was, "If I would have holes bored in my ears and 
nose and have rings and lead hung in them like they had?" I 
answered "No." The third question they asked me was, "If I could 
make hats?" (I had a large bag of beaver fur with me when they 
took me prisoner; from that circumstance I suppose they thought I 
was a hatter.) I answered "No." The fourth question they asked 
me was, "If I was a carpenter?" and said they wanted a door made 
for their cabin. I answered "No." The fifth question they asked me 
was, "If I was a blacksmith; could I mend their guns and makes 
axes and hoes for them?" I answered "No." The sixth question 



27 



THE CAPTIVITY OF WILLIAM BIGGS 



they asked me was, "If I could hoe corn?" I answered "No". The 
seventh question they asked me was, "If I could hunt?" I aswered. 
"No. I could shoot at a mark very well, but I never hunted any." 
Then they told Coonse to ask me how I got my living; if I could 
do no work. I thought I had out-generalled them, but that question 
stumped me a little. The first thought that struck my mind, I 
thought I would tell them I was a weaver by trade, but a second 
thought occurred to my mind, I told Coonse to tell them I made 
my living by writing. The Indians answered and said it was very 
well. The eighth question they asked me was, "If I had a family?" 
I answered "Yes," I had a wife and three children." The ninth 
question they asked me was, "If I wanted to go home to see my wife 
and children?" I answered "Yes," They said, "Very well, you 
shall go home by and by." The tenth question they asked wals, 
"If I wanted a wife then?" I answered "No," and told them it was 
not the fashion for the white people to have two wives at the same 
time. They said, very well, I could get one if I wanted one, and 
they said if I staid with them until their corn got in roasting ears, 
then I must take a wife. I answered them yes, if I staid that long 
with them. They then told me that I might go anywhere about in 
the town, but not go out of sight of the town, for if I diid, there 
were bad Indians round about the town and they would catch me 
and kill me, and they said they could run like horses; and another 
thing they said, don't you recollect the Indians that took you prisoner 
and cut a lock of hair out of the crown of your head. I told them 
yes. Then they told me in consequence of that, if you attempted 
to run away, you could not live eight days. If you will stay with 
us and not run away, you shall not even bring water to drink. I 
told them I wanted to go home to mv family, but I would not go 



28 



THE CAPTIVITY OF WILLIAM BIGGS 



without letting them know before I went. They said, very well. 
They appeared well pleased with me and told me again I might go 
anywhere about in the town, but not go out of sight of the town. 
I was sitting on a bench, when the old chief got up and| put both 
his hands on my head and said something, I did not know what. 
Then he gave me a name and called me "Mohcossea," after the old 
chief that was killed, who was the father of the Indian that I was 
given up to. Then I was considered one of that family, a Kickapoo 
in place of their father, the old chief. Then the principal chief took 
the peace pipe and smoked two or three draws. It had a long stem 
about three feet in length. He then passed it round to the other 
Indians before they raised from their council. He held the pipe by 
the end and each of them took two or three draws. Then he handed 
it to me and I smoked. The chief then said I was a Kickapoo and 
that they were good Indians and that I need not be afraid; they 
would not hurt me, but I must not run away. 

By this time their dinner was prepared and they were ready to 
eat. They all sat down and told me to sit by. I did, and we all 
eat a hearty dinner and they all appeared to be well pleased with 
their new adopted Kickapoo brother. 

These Indians lived about six miles west of the old Kickapoo 
trading town, on the west side of the Wabash river. They had no 
traders in their town. After dinner was over, they told the inter- 
preter Coons that I must write to their trading town for some bread. 
I told Coons to tell them I had nothing to write with — no paper, 
nor pen and ink. They said I must write. I told Coons to tell them 
again I had no paper nor nothing to write with, Coons told them. 
Then the Indian that claimed me went to his trunk and brought me 
a letter that had one-half sheet of it clean paper. I told Coons 



29 



THE CAPTIVITY OF WILLIAM BIGGS 



to tell them I wanted a pen. The same Indian went and pulled a 
quill out of a turkey wing and gave it to me. I told Coons I wanted 
a knife to make the pen. The same Indian got hi's scalping knife; 
he gave it two or three little whets and gave it to me. I then told 
Coons I wanted some ink. Coons says, "Ink — ink; what is tat? I 
ton't know what ink is." He had no name for ink in Indian or 
English. I told him to tell the Indian to get me some gunpowder 
and water and a spoon and I would make the ink myself. The 
Indian did so. I knew very well what their drift was; they wanted 
a proof to know whether I told them any lies when they examined 
me in their council. When I had made the ink and was ready to 
write I asked Coons how many loaves of bread I should write for. 
He says, "Ho! a couple of lofes; tay only want to know if you can 
write or if you told them any lies or not." I wrote to the English 
trader, that I mentioned before that I had made some acquaintance 
with the day I passed the old trading town, for to get me two loaves 
of bread. He very w T ell knew my situation and circumstances. 
There was a Frenchman, a baker, that lived in the trading town. 

When I had finished writing, the Indian took it up and looked at ' 
it and said, "Depaway, vely good." Coons' master, a brother to the 
one that claimed me, told Coons to go catch his horse and take the 
letter for the bread, not stay, but return as soon as possible. Coons 
hurried off immediately and soon returned. As soon as he came 
back he brought the two loaves of bread and gave them to me. 1 
then asked Coons what I should do with this bread, as he was some- 
what better acquainted with the ways of the Indians than I was. He 
says, "Kife one loaf to tay old squaw and her two little chiltren, and 
tofide the otter loaf petween you and your master, put keep a pigest 
half." I did so. This old squaw was the mother of the two Indians 



30 



\ 



THE CAPTIVITY 



OF 



WILLIAM 



BIGGS 



that claimed Coons and myself. The old squaw and her two children 
soon eat their loaf. I then divided my half between the two little 
children again. That pleased the old squaw very much; she tried 
to make me sensible of her thanks for my kindness to her two little 
children. 

While Coons was gone for the bread, the Indian that claimed me 
asked me to write his name. I asked him to speaik his name dis- 
tinctly. He did. I had heard it spoken several times before. His 
name was "Mahtomack." When I was done writing he took it up 
and looked at it and said it was "Depaway." He then went to his 
trunk and brought his powder horn, which had his name wrote on it 
by an officer at Post Vincennes in large print letters, and compared 
thym together. They both were the same kind of letters and his 
name spelt exactly the same. He seemed mightily pleased and said 
it was "bon vely good." It was a big captain he said wrote his 
name on the powder-horn at Opost. The wife of the Indian that 
claimed me, next morning combed and queued my hair and gave ma 
a very large ostrich feather and tied it to my hat. The; Sunday 
following after I was taken to that town, there was a number of 
Indians went from that town to the old Kickapoo trading town. 
They took me with them to dance what is called the "Beggav's 
Dance." It is a practice for the Indians every spring, when they 
come in from their hunting ground, to go to the trading towns and 
dance for presents; they will go through the streets and dance be- 
fore all the traders' doors. The traders then will give them pres- 
ents, such as tobacco, bread, knives, spirits, blankets, tomahawks, &c. 

While we were in town that day I talked with my friend McCauslin 
t i speak to the Indians and try to get them to sell me, but they 
would not agree to sell me then. They said they would come down 



31 



THE CAPTIVITY OF WILLIAM BIGGS 



the Sunday following and bring me with them, perhaps they would 
then agree to sell me. They complied with their promise and 
brought me down with them. My friend McCauslin then inquired 
of them if they had agreed to sell me; they told him they would. 
McCauslin then sent for the interpreter, and the Indians asked one 
hundred buckskins for me in merchandize. The interpreter asked 
me if I would give it? I told him I would. The Indians then went 
to the traders' houses to receive their pay. They took but seventy 
bucks' worth of merchandize at that time. One of the articles they 
took was bread, three loaves, one for the Indian that claimed me, 
one for his wife, the other one for me. I saw directly they wanted 
me to go back home with them. After a little while they started 
and motioned and told me I must go with them. I refused to go. 
The Indian fellow took hold of my arm and tried to pull me forward. 
I still refused going with them. He still continued pulling and his 
wife pushing me at the back. We went scuffling along a few yards 
till we got before my friend McCauslin's cabin door. He discovered 
the bustle and asked me what the Indians wanted. I told him they 
wanted me to go home with them. He asked me if I wanted to go. 
I told him no. He then told me to walk into his cabin and sit down 
and he would go and bring the interpreter. I went in and the two 
Indians followed me into the cabin and sat down. The interpreter 
came in immediately and asked the Indians what they wanted. They 
told him they wanted me to go home with them. The interpreter 
then asked if I wanted to go with them. I told him no. He then 
told the Indians they had sold me and that they had nothing more 
to do with me, that I was a freeman, that I might stay where I 
pleased. They then said they had not received all their pay. The 
interpreter then asked them why they did not take it all? They 



32 



THE CAPTIVITY OF WILLIAM BIGGS 



said they expected I would go home with them and remain with 
them until I got an opportunity to go home. The interpreter then 
told them they could get the balance of their pay. They said if I 
did not go home with them they must have thirty bucks more. The 
interpreter asked me if I was willing to give it. I told him yes. I 
did not want to go back again. The Indians then went and took 
their thirty dollars of balance and thirty more and went off home. I 
then owed the traders that advanced the goods for me one hundred 
and thirty buckskins for my ransom, which they considered equal to 
$260 in silver. There were five traders thaJt were concerned, in the 
payment of the goods to the Indians. One of them was a Mr. Baze- 
tdone a Spaniard, who sometimes traded in the Illinois country, 
with whom I had some acquaintance. I told him if he would satisfy 
the other four traders, I would give him my note, payable in the 
Illinois country. He did so, and I gave him my note for the $260, 
to be paid twelve months after date in the Illinois country, and $37 
more for my boarding and necessaries I could not do without, such 
a bear skin and blanket to sleep on, a shirt, hat, tobacco and hand- 
kerchief. 

My frend McCauslin took me to a Frenchman's house — he was a 
baker by trade, the only baker in town — to board with him until I 
got an opportunity to go home. Two days after I went to stay at 
the baker's, the Indian that claimed me,, his squaw and the young 
squaw that followed us to the new town, came to see me and stayed 
three or four hours with me. He asked me to give him some tobacco. 
I told him I had no money. He thought I could get anything I 
wanted. I bought hi'm a carrot of tobacco; it weighed about three 
pounds; he seemed very well pleased. He and his wife wanted 
me very much to go back home with them again. I told them I 



THE CAPTIVITY OF WILLIAM BIGGS 



could not, that I was very anxious to go home to my wife and 
family. Three or four days after that they revisited me, and still 
insisted on me to go home with them. I told them that I expected 
every day to get an opportunity to go home. I had some doubts 
about going back wi'th them; I thought perhaps they might play 
some trick on me, and take me to some other town; and their water 
was so bad I could not drink it — nothing but a small pond to make 
use of for their drinking and cooking, about forty or fifty yards long 
and about thirty yards wide. Their horses would not only drink 
from, but wallow in i't; the little Indian boys every day would swim 
in it, and the Indians soak their deerskins in it. I could not bear 
to drink it. When they would bring in a kettle of water to drink, 
they would set it down on the floor. The dogs would generally 
took the first drink out of the kettle. I have often seen when the 
dogs would be drinking out of a kettle, an Indian would go up and 
kick him off, and take up the kettle and drink after the dog. They 
had nothing to eat the last week I was with them but Indian potatoes 
— some people call them hoppines — that grew in the woods, and they 
were very scarce. Sometimes the Indian boys would catch land 
terrapins. They would draw their heads out and tie a string around 
their neck and hang them up a few minutes, and then put them in 
a kettle of water with some corn — when they had it — without taking 
the entrails out or shell off the terrapin, and eat the soup as well as 
the meat. We had all liked to have starved that week; we had no 
meat; I was glad to get away. 

I staid three weeks with the French baker before I got an oppor- 
tunity to start home. I had a plenty to eat while I remained with 



34 



THE! CAPTIVITY OF WILLIAM BIGGS 



the baker — good light bread, bacon and sandy hill cranes, boiled in 
leyed corn, which made a very good soup. I paid him three dollars 
per week for my board. 

There was a Mr. Pyatt a Frenchman, and his wife, whose residence 
was at St. Vincennes, with whom I had some acquaintance. They 
had moved up to that Kickapoo town in the fall of the year in order 
to trade with the Indians that winter. They were then ready to re- 
turn home to Vincennes. Mr. Pyatt had purchased a drove of horses 
from the Indians. He had to go by land with his horses. Mrs. Pyatt 
hired a large perogue and four Frenchmen to take her property home 
to Vincennes, I got a passage in her perogue. She was very friendly 
to me; she did not charge me anything for my passage. 

We arrived in Vincennes in forty-eight hours after we left the 
Kickapoo trading town, which is said to be two hundred and ten 
miles. The river was very high, and the four hands rowed day and 
night. We never put to land but twice to get a little wood to cook 
something to eat. 

I staid five days at Vincennes before I got an opportunity of com- 
pany to go on my way home. It was too dangerous for one man 
to travel alone by land without a gun. Ther e was a Mr. Duff, who 
lived in the Illinois country, came to Vincennes to move a Mrs. More- 
dock and family to the Illinois. I got a passage with him by water. 
The morning I started from Vincennes he was just ready to start 
before I knew I could get a passage with him, and I had not time 
to write. I got a Mr. John Rice Jones,, a friend of mine, to write 
to Col. Edgar, living in Kaskaskia, in the Illinois, who was a par- 
ticular friend of mine, and sent it by the express, a Frenchman, that 
was going to start that day from Vincennes to Kaskaskia, which he 
could ride in four days, and request Col. Edgar to write to my wife, 



35 



THE CAPTIVITY OF WILLIAM BIGGS 



who lived at Bellfontain, about forty miles from Kaskashia 3 and in- 
form her that I was at Post Vincennes, on my return home with a 
Mr. Duff by water, and inform her that I would be at Kaskasl^'a 
on a certain day; I think it was two weeks from the time I left Vin- 
cennes, and for her to send me a horse on that day to Kaskashia. 
Col. Edgar wrote to her immediately, as soon as he received Mr. 
Jones' letter. That was the first time she heard from me after I 
was taken prisoner. I had written to her while I was at the Ki'ck- 
apoo town. That letter never reached her. I had t^o brothers living 
at the Bellfontain; they met me on the day I proposed being at 
Kaskaskia and brought me a horse. The next day I got home to the 
Bellfontain. 



36 



a 



Deacidtfied using \ha bookkeeper process. 
Neutralizing Agent: Magnesium Oxide 

""TSec m 

iBBRKEEPER 

PRESERVATION TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 
1 1 1 Thomson Park Drive 
Cranberry Twp., PA 16066 
(412) 779-2111 



Mb 



